[Development and current status of perforator flaps].

Objective: To provide a comprehensive review for development and existing problems of the perforator flaps.

Methods: The related home and abroad literature concerning perforator flaps was extensively reviewed.

Results: The perforator flaps are defined as the axial flaps nourished solely by small cutaneous perforating vessels (perforating arteries and veins), which are exclusively composed of skin and subcutaneous fat. The perforator flaps have the advantages as follows: less injury at donor site, less damage to the contour of the donor site, good reconstruction and appearance of the recipient site flexible design, and short time of postoperative recovery, which have been widely used in reconstructive surgery.

Conclusion: The perforator flaps are the new development of the microsurgery, which usher an era of small axial flaps; However, the controversies of the definition, vascular classification, the nomenclature, and the clinical application of the perforator flaps still exist, which are therefore the hot spot for future study.